matos's reviews
363 reviews

The Nightland Express by J.M. Lee

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

 Thank you Erewhon for the final copy of this book!

Jesse Murphy takes the job to reach California and find her father before her sister gives birth and it’s excited to take a job that allows her to dress up as a boy. Ben Foley, it’s a white passing boy escaping slavery and running from his family. They sign up for a special run for the Nightland route of the Pony Express. A special route that runs between words and has its own rules.

They start a magical journey while being followed by the harsh realities of life. It’s a journey to discover themselves, to confront themselves and their ideas of the world, to understand that there’s more than the daylight reality. It's the book equivalent of a road movie, the action and the danger never stop; and for me that’s the problem. I’m more of a character reader and the action was too much sometimes.

The other thing was that I was expecting more Native American folklore and less fae. It was well integrated, and it’s a me thing, not the book's fault.

I will read more of the author for sure. 

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Elusive Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I Will Repay by Emma Orczy

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Classic Tracks: David Bowie: All the Songs, All the Stories 1970 - 1980 by Chris Welch

dark emotional informative slow-paced

4.0

Vaster than Empires and More Slow: A Story by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Metropolis by Christian Montenegro

dark emotional medium-paced

4.5

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0